The Dallas Mavericks' decision to give Kyrie Irving a three-year, $126 million contract is a historic one because of who negotiated the deal. Shetellia Riley Irving, Kyrie Irving's stepmom and agent, became the first Black woman to negotiate and land an NBA contract for a client by finalizing a deal with the Mavs, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania.

Shetellia Riley Irving officially became Kyrie Irving's agent and the only Black woman to represent an NBA player in March 2022. Although she didn't help the Mavs' guard agree to a deal until nearly 16 months later, Irving's stepmom engaged in plenty of negotiations during that time.

Irving and the Brooklyn Nets had contact talks that went nowhere last summer. Irving flirted with the idea of declining his player option and entering free agency. Ultimately, he picked up the final year of his contract.

Irving asked for a trade ahead of the 2023 NBA trade deadline when the Nets refused to give him a long-term contract. After the Mavs traded for the superstar, they became the clear frontrunners to sign him in 2023 NBA free agency.

It was no guarantee that Irving was going to land a nine-figure contract in free agency. The Mavs didn't seem to have much competition around the league, given Irving's unreliability and the limited amount of cap space throughout the league. Irving was reportedly set to have a meeting with the Phoenix Suns and possibly other teams. The Suns never appeared to be a realistic Irving suitor.

Irving was eligible to sign a five-year, $272 max contract with the Mavs.